Display cabinet



April 11, 1933. M. sMETKo 1,903,484

DISPLAY CABINET Filed May 5, 1932. l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented. Apr. 11', 1933 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE y MICHAEL SMETKO, Ol CICERO,'II1LINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS DISPLAY CABINET *y Application nea May 5, 1932. serial No. 'coz-1,380.

These improvements relate to cabinets for holding articles for display.

It is customary in museums of art, natu-l ral histori, etc., to display objects in cases formed with glass panels rising from a suitable base. Such objects are frequently of great and even incalculable value, but in any event they should be protected against handling by unauthorized persons, sometimes against cupidity, and at all times from the dirt and dust which would mar the display or injure the article. er cases used for such purposes have ordi,- narily been formed with at least one of the large glass plates removable, as by the withdrawal of a number of screws around its margin, whereby access may be had to the interior for removing one exhibit and inserting another; and for this purpose from several e to half a dozen workmen will be required,

at considerable expense, loss of time, and not infrequent breakage of the glass panel being removed or replaced.

In connection with relatively small display cabinets for such purposes, and especially cabinets for objects comparatively low and which and gears operated by a crank for simultaneously raising and lowering the racks and thereby similarly moving the cover vertically, first to expose the top surface of the base beneath the lower edges of the cover, Vand then to return the cover to the top .surface` of the base. rIhat device has proven advantageous in its limited field of relatively small articles to be displayed.

The objects of the present invention are to` pro1 lfle a cabinet whereby the articles 5 displayed therein are given the desired safety and security, and whereby one may, with notable ease and celerity, and without the use of any workmen or loss of time, obtain access to the interior, especially in instances Accordingly the largj where the items to be displayed are substantially high, or where a substantially highV cabinet is desired .for displaying a given group or collection of small objects, as on shelves one above the other, or where the articles may properly be secured to a back wall Vof the device or on special holding means within the device and extending upward a considerable distance. In` the older form inen-v tioned the observer ordinarily looks downward upon Ythe articles. According to the present invention theV observer may look downward upon the articles resting on top of the base, but the invention contemplates chiefly that hewill look at the objects in a generally more horizontal direction, viewing the objects in side view rather than in topV view. This elevational aspect of the objects displayed isusually the proper one, and the present invention therefore contemplates, as one of its advantages, this more favorable optical approach to the articles displayed.l The inventioncontemplates also the quantity of such material that may properly `be displayed in a single cabinet having the advantage of ready accessibility, such quantity being relatively large.

While cabinets in accordance with this invention-may be made in any suitable size, the chief merit of the device will be found inV cabinets of substantially i great width and height. Thus in art museum practice they will ordinarily range from say five feet to ten feet in width, with a height of the display cover member extending from say four to eight feet above the base. For the display of tapestries and thelike thev horizontal depth of the display cover, from front to back, may be quite shallow, with the height and width ofsubstantially great proportions suitable to the dimensions of the ilat sheetlike fabric displayed. In such case instead of having a base substantially deep .froml front toback, otherwise necessary for stability, the base and its back may be secured i'irmlyupon av vertical wall of the gallery.

In the accompanyingV drawings I have` shown an embodiment of the invention in a form and construction which I vnow consider 100 so'y 'the cover member thereon.

most suitable and appropriate for art museum work and the like.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a perspective of the device with the cover member in closed position; v Fig. 2 is a rear view of the device, with the back cover wall removed and variousother parts omitted, this view being intended chiefly to show frame constructions;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 4 is a medial vertical sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1 or 44 of Fig. 6, inner portions being broken away;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 taken on the section. line 5--5 of Fig. 1 or 5-5 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a view on the line 6 6 of Figs. 1 and 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional Vview of details, as on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.:

VThe base 10 is shown asa rectangular hollowbody covered exteriorly with board material and having a Vfront wall 11, side walls 12 and 13, and a rear wall 14 extending upward beyond the base, the horizontal area of the base being preferably a little larger than that of the vertical projection of the cover member 15, for the sake of stability. It may be of any appropriate height, and its general proportions and construction may vary within wide limits.

The present device, in the preferred form illustrated, contemplates a strong and rigid lbase having, preferably at its rear portion,

a strong and rigid back member rigidly upstanding, and an open-bottom cover member mounted to moverup and down on that back member, with means for raising and lowering )What shall herein call the back member illustrated comprises a plurality of frame parts and other elements and is, as a whole, the upstandmg part of what is a substantially L-shaped -frame structure, the base being thehorizontal part thereof and the back member being the vertical part thereof.

The front and side wallsV 11, 12 and 13 of the base 10, while providing ornamental linishvand giving the base the character of a cabinet, contribute to the strength of the base and reinforce the framework within, the inner framework, however, being designed chiefiy to carry the strains. This inner framework comprises iirst a pair of stout wood pieces`16 at the bottom, to Whichis strongly secured board material 17 forming a partition closing the bottom ofthe hollow base. Above this partition 17 there is a pair of upper and lower front frame members l8-r and 19 (Fig. 4) strongly connected together by vertical end pieces20. Upper and lower end frame members 21` and 22 extend rearwardly and are supported by the rear upvfor objects to be displayed.

fragmentary horizontal sectional rights 23 and 24 connected together by a cross member 25.

As thus far described the base portion comprises a rigid frame secured to the platform 17 and the bottom wood pieces 16. The downwardly-extending leg portions 26 and 27 of the back wall 28 (see Fig. 2) are secured to the rear uprights 23 and 24. A top platform 29 is secured to frame members 18, 21 and'25 and provides a horizontal support Y Between the front wall 11 and the frame member 18 (see Fig. 4) a space 30 is provided to receive the lower frame element 15a of the cover member 15; and between the respective side walls 12, 13 and the side'frame members 21 (see Fig. 3) a space 21a is provided to receive the lower edges respectively of the cover sidewall elements 15b. The lower edge of the cover member is thus sealed at the front and sides by entering the spacesy 30 and 21a re spectively.

The cover member 15 is slidably vmounted on the back wall 28, at the side edges of the back wall, by means of a groove 31 in back wall 28 (Fig. 6) and a tongue 32 in the rear vertical side-wall element 33 of the cover 15. These side-wall elements 33 are also provided with a rearwardly-extending tongue 34 extending vertically the full length of element 33 into a groove 35 in the uprights 36 (see also Fig. 1) secured to the base 1,0. These upright-s 36 are connected at their top ends by means of a cross member 37 (Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5) provided with an upwardly-facing groove 38 into which a downwardly-extending tongue 39 of the top frame element 40 of the cover 15 extends. These tongue-and-groove formations sealV the interior of the cover member when the cover is in its lower'or closed position as shown full lines in Fig. 1, and the lateral tongue-and-groove elements also serve to some extent in guiding the cover member in its up and down movements.

At its lower side edges the cover member 15 is provided with downwardly-extending side y pending cover side walls 41 (they are the "l same at both sides) arequite long and extend to the bottom partition 17 at their rear portions while their front portions extend to the front of the cover member. They are secured strongly and rigidly to the cabinet part of the cover member at the front crossr member 15a (Figs. 4 and 5) and themselves form the lower side frame elements 15b of the cover member. What we see at 15b in Fig. l istherefore the top edge portion of one of these depending side walls 41. The rectangular cover member 15 comprises a front wall 150, side walls 15d, and a top wall 15e, the front and side walls being preferablyV of ltransparent glass, while the cover member this framework takes the form top wall is preferably of glass frosted to diffuse the top light. The back of the cover member is open, as is also its bottom, meaning that the cover member does not vhave either a back wall or a bottom wall. I have pointed out how the rear vertical edges of the cover member are guided for up and down movements.

The four glass panels ofthe cover member are held together in the form of a rigid case or housing by moulding framework at their meeting edges in the usual way. VAt the rear side edge portions and at the top of the of relatively wide strips of board material serving to cover some of the parts of the device rearward of the display portion of the cabinet and also to provide strong frame elements carrying the weight of the cover when in raised position.

Fig; 2 shows a steel or iron frame compris-` ing a pair of oppositively disposed vertical T-rails 43, and another transverse angle-iron 45, both rigidly connected to the T-rails 43. This iron frame is rigidly connectedV at the top by screws'46 to back wall 28 and by angleiron cleats 47 to the rigid rear top frame element 37. At their lower end the T-rails r 43 are rigidly secured by` angle-iron cleats 48 to the laterallyand downwardly-extending parts 26 and 27 of the back wall 28, and are thus rigidly connected also to the main frame structure of the base 10. The back member as a whole thus comprises a back wall 28, a reinforcing iron frame and an outer frame structure comprising the board-material elements 36 and 37. All of these several back memberparts are rigidly secured together and to the base.

Since the cover member will usually be quite'heavy and is carried at its rear edge p ortions only, the cover member must be carried strongly and for free andeasy movements.

To this end the cover memberv is mounted onv the vertical T-rails 43. Fig. 6 shows a pair of rollers 50 straddling and bearing on web 43a of T-rail 43. Fig. 5 shows these rollers 50 as carried by a piece of strap ironV 51 rigidly 56 secured by screws at the upperportion of the downwardly-extending side walls 41 of the cover member. Note from Fig. 6 that a bar 52 is welded at 52a. to strap iron piece 51, and this bar 52 extends to and is similarly v secured to the corresponding strap iron piece 51 at the opposite side of the device.

Next note that at the bottom of the side members 41 there is another pair of rollers 54 carried by a strap iron piece 55 rigidly vsecured to side member 41, these rollers 54 also engaging the web 43a. Strap-iron bracket 55 extends rearward of rollers 54 and turns into the transverse bar 56 extending across the device and in to the opposite piece 55 secured to the opposite wall,A 4l. In other words, the strap iron member marked 55 and 56 in Figsf`5 and 6 is a single U-shaped pie-ce, the construction at both sides being the same. fWe thus see that the cover member is mounted Aon the iron frame by four 'pairs `of rollers, the' opposite upper Vpairs being spaced a considerable distance from the opposite lower pair'srespectively. Means for elevating and loweringv the cover Vmember 15 are illustrated for example,

63 which is secured on one side to the horizontal bar 52. Af bracing iron 64 is secured tothe nut member and'to bar 52 (see Figs. 41

and 6) .A Vertical movement of the nut mem-` ber is therefore communicated through bars 52 and 64 to the strap-iron pieces 51 carryingV the rollers 50 respectively.

Fig. 2 shows a vertical bar 66 secured to tansverse bars 44 and 45, its lower end ex-y tending to a place close to the bottom of the device. y Y H Fig. 7 shows that cross bar 56 has a pair of gibs 67 engaging Vfor sliding movement vertical bar 66.` l Thisvertica'l bar 66 constitutes a reinforcement of the frame and provides, with the gibs 67 and associated parts means for guiding the covermember movements, especially against any tendency of the cover member to sag at either side. Gibs 67 there` fore fit the bar 66 snuglyfyet` for'sliding movements.

Further-means for raising and lowering the cover member are shown as a'bevel pinion 7 0 on screwshaft 60 and meshingwith bevel pinion 71 on crank shaft'72 mounted in bearingsv73 on an angle-iron support 74 secured atits rear end to angle iron 45 of the iron frame and at its front end to an extension' 18a of front frame `part '18 (Fig.l 4).V The front end of shaft 72 is squared at 75 to receive a socketed crank 76 shown in ydotted lines in Fig. l, and which may extend through Ya hole 77 in front wall 11 of the base."V The numeral 78 (Fig. 1) indicates a removable key-operated lock which normally fills the hole 77 to prevent unauthorized use of the crank 76.

Turning the crank rotates the screw shaft Y member may be raised to such an extentV that Y its lower "edge comes almost to the top of the back wall 28, thus exposing substantially the entire area of that back wall and making" every part of the exhibition space accessible.A

In front' of the back wall 28 I provideV a substantially flat background piece 80, of board material, and secured forread-y'ref4 movability Vto the back wall, as by screwsy 8l Iso are

'means for the convenient Yapplication of ornamentalffabric for b-ackground purposes which may be placed over the front of board or plate 8Ol and turned around its edgesgiving the background a finished appearance.

` Rear wall 14 is held by screws 90 (Fig. 4) and is readily removable for access to the mechanisms in front of it. It will benoted that the device may be placed closely against a well of the exhibition room, or that two of the devices may be arranged back to back. v

I `have shown theback member as comprising various parts assembled into what as a whole is a substantially flat structure uprising from the base. Where` a plate-like back member. is specified in appended claims either back wall 28 or 8O may be considered to be that element. While the tongue-andgroove joints in the framework illustrated are ynot designed to carry severe strains, but

i arerather for sealing, it is clear that the chief or only sliding coni-iection could be of that kind, especially ifthe `device were made with a metal frame. Various departures may be made in structural respects within the invention, and I contemplate yas being included in these improvements all such variations,

changes and departures from what is thus specifically illustrated and described as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

' I claim:

1. A display cabinet comprising abase Y adapted to rest upon the lfloor and having a substantially flat back member rigid therewith and upstanding therefrom, said-back f member being substantially wide and high,

aunitary cover member having front and side walls, at least the front wall being transparent, the cover member having also a top wall, the bottom of the cover member being open, the rear edge portions of the cover member interiitting for vertical sliding movements with said back member, lower edge portions of the cover member interfitting with the base, and the rear edge portion y of Vthetop ofthe cover member interfitting with the back member, the cover member thus providing a closed compartment abovev the base and in front of the back member and Y being movable vertically on the' back member and mechanical means carried by the base for raising the cover member by al sliding movement on the back member to such a substantially great height as to provide access to substantially the entire Aarea of the back member..

2.' The cabinet of claim 1 hereofin which the base is in the form Vof a substantially rectangular casing and said cover member is substantially rectangular and of approximately the horizontal width and depth of the base, the back member being of substantially the width and height of the cover member, and said mechanical means being adapted to elevate the cover member whereby its lower edge in front comes substantially close to the horizontal plane of the top of the backV displayed, a plate-like back member rigidv witliand upstanding from the base, a cover member having at least one transparent wall and being open at its bottom and at its rear side, said cover member resting on the base' and being mounted to sli-de upward and downward relatively to the back member, and mechanical means operable vby hand for raising and lowering the cover member relatively to the back member.

5. The device of claim 1 hereof in which said means for raising and lowering the cover include a rotatable vertically-disposed screw shaft, a nut member on said shaft, and Y means connecting the nut member with said cover member whereby when the nut member moves upand down the cover member moves likewise, with means for rotating said screw shaft.

6. A display cabinet comprising a base having a rigid back upwardly extending therefrom, a 4unitary cover member having an open backand an open bottom and interiitting for vertical movements on said'back, said cover member interfitting with said base to close kthe cover member at the bottom thereof, and mechanical means for raising the cover member by a sliding movement on the back.

7. A display cabinet comprising a base having a fiat back upwardly extending rigidly therefrom, a cover member having a top wall and front and side walls, the cover member being mounted for vertical movements on the back, the cover member interfitting with the base to close the cover member at the bottom, a kvertically-disposed screw shaft extending substantially the height of the back, nut means carried by the cover member and engaging the screw shaft, and means includ- Ving` a crank for manually'turning the screw shaftfor moving the cover up and down.

j 8. In a device of the character described, a

basevhaving a top on which articles may be displayed, a back including a pair of vertical guides rigid with and uprising from the base, a cover member having at least one Vtransparent wall and being open at its bottom,

said cover member normally resting on the base and being mounted to move upward and downward on said guides, and means operable by hand for raising and lowering the cover member on and relative to the back.

9. The cabinet of cla-im 8 hereof in which there are means carried by relatively fixed parts of the device for supporting articles within the cover member and above the base.

l0. The cabinet of claim 8 hereof in which there is a flat background member rigidly upstanding within the cabinet and constituting a rear wall for the cover member when the cover member is in closed position.

11. A display cabinet comprising a base having an upstanding back member, an openbottom cover member slidably mounted on the back member, the back member including vertical guiding means for the cover, and means for raising and lowering the cover member on and relatively to the back member.

' 12. A display cabinet comprising a base having an upstanding back member including an upstanding rear wall and associated means forming a compartment, a vertical guiding means and a vertical screw shaft in said compartment, a nut threaded on said screw shaft, a cover member having an open bottom mounted to move up and down on said guiding means, means connecting said cover with said nut, and manually operated means for turning the screw shaft to raise and lower said nut and thereby raise and lower said cover. 40 MICHAEL SMETKO. 

